Disco de Emmylou Harris: “Brand New Dance”

When BRAND NEW DANCE was released in 1990, the critics didn't like it and it was given bad reviews all around. True - it is not her best album. She makes so many good albums it's hard to compare this album to newer classics like RED DIRT GIRL, or older ones like ROSES IN THE SNOW. This is still a good album. Her version of Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than The Rest", is worth the price of admission. I think this album was mostly a transition, between her past albums and what was to come. She sounds great, although the material isn't the best, there's still some gems like the title track, "Red, Red Rose" and "Better Off Without You". Not her best, but still worth a listen.

While I accept that this not Emmylou's finest album (and isn't even in her top ten finest albums), I have never understood why so many people seem to despise it. By the standards of most singers, this is a wonderful album. One problem is that Emmylou had already recorded a string of outstanding albums beginning with Pieces of the sky in 1975. Although the eighties (after 1980's Roses in the snow) lacked the overall brilliance of the seventies where Emmylou's music was concerned, there were great moments, notably Cimarron (an outstanding album), Angel band (a gospel album), Bluebird (the solo album before this one) and the first Trio album (the best traditional country album ever recorded by anybody). Another problem for some may be that this is a very mellow album - there are no up-tempo rocking songs here although Emmylou is brilliant at those. Maybe a couple of them would have assuaged the critics.

The album opens with Wheels of fire, an outstanding ballad, which is followed by an excellent cover of Tougher than the rest (Bruce Springsteen). Next is another fine ballad, In this world. The fourth track, Sweet dreams of you (an original song, not a cover of the Patsy Cine classic - Emmylou did that on Elite Hotel) contains some instrumental breaks that seem out of place on an otherwise mellow track. Maybe the producers (Richard Bennett and Allen Reynolds) wanted to make sure nobody would fall asleep.

Next is an excellent mid-tempo song, Rolling and rambling, about the death of Hank Williams, followed by yet another ballad, Better of without you. A brilliant mid-tempo cover of Ricky Nelson's fifties classic, Never be anyone else but you, is about as fast as this album gets. Two ballads, the title track and Red red rose, complete what is, in many ways, an excellent album.

If you enjoy Emmylou's other music and already have the classic albums, you might enjoy this. This may be Emmylou's weakest album (actually, I don't think so) but it's all relative to the very high standards set by Emmylou's other music. If it were possible to give marks out of 100, I would give this a lower rating than most of Emmylou's albums - however, it still easily justifies five stars from me with the rating system employed.

I really can't help but dismiss the coldness spread out by some critics when this album came out. While this isn't her best-of-all album, it's still at least a four-outta-five stars one. I really love her version of Springsteen's Tougher Than The Rest and if it wasn't for any other song, this would still earn a four. Who cares if it's a bit soundlarge every now and then! Who cares about the "formula". It's a hell of an album. One simpl

Prime Cuts: Wheel of Love, Never Be Anyone Else But You, In His World

"Brand New Dance" may not be the most successful CD by Emmylou but it's a dance you won't want to forget. It's a dance with different moves: the opening track "Wheel of Love" a toe-tapping waltz about waiting for one's true love. Emmylou has a foot in the pop territority on the Bruce Springsteen ballad "Tougher than The Rest." Emmylou turned this into her own song and it has a nice country feel to it. One of the best songs on unrequited love sung with verve and sincereity is the haunting "In His World." It's one of the best songs ever written by famed country writer Kostas. The tempo picks up with a country almost cajun flavoured "Rollin' and Ramblin'" -- a catchy tune in tribute to Hank Williams. Emmylou's cover of "Never Be Anyone Else But You" is short and sweet. It makes you humming in no time. The title track is perhaps one of the best songs ever written about rekindling one's passion in a relationship. This certainly will rekindle any one's believe that Emmylou has the sweetest voice in country music. The album comes to a close with a tender ballad by Dave Mallet (writer of Kathy Mattea's "Summer of Dreams"). A beautiful and poetic song that makes you loose yourself in the music. This is a great album with great variety of tempos, lyrical content, and memorable melodies. I only wish the dance would never end!

I have about 12 emmylou CDs, the best being Weaking Ball and the worst being my lastest edition Brand New Dance. The song are just not as good.